EHR Software Drives Significant Improvements In HIV/AIDS Treatment

In honor of AIDS Awareness Month, let’s take some time to consider the progress that has been made in the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS. The most recent data, presented in an article from Bakersfield News, suggests that while the disease is more treatable than ever, the cases, especially of young people, contracting the disease, are higher than ever. The article points out that because of recent advancements in treatment, the disease has fallen slightly from public eye, and therefore fewer young people are getting tested.

EHR Software and Patient Registries Making A Positive Impact

The transition to Electronic Health Records (EHR) led to an enormous backlog of patient data, which gives doctors deeper insights into their patients’ history and into the health of the population as a whole.

ONC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Thomas A. Mason, in a recent blog post titled “Health Information Technology is Helping Treat and Manage HIV for Patients and Providers”, says, “the relationship that doctors now have with their patients’ health records has been fundamentally changed as a result of their use of EHRs,” and that EHR software “allows the clinicians to focus less on the unknown and more on the practice of medicine. The technology shows the data all in one place and makes clinical decision making much easier.” He goes on to say that, while the transition to EHR has been difficult for many clinics, “health information technology (health IT) and electronic health information help doctors better manage the care of patients living with HIV and AIDS and improve the care that they receive.”

An article in Health IT Analytics examines the relationship between EHR software and patient registries, which combine to create a goldmine of actionable data to be used in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Many doctors are seeing the benefits of leveraging EHR software and patient registries to improve their patient treatment strategies. One doctor says, “It allows us to have the data in one place and helps us make good decisions and have clear conversations with whoever else picks up the chart down the line.”

The article concludes that “the continued development of EHRs, registries, and health information exchange capabilities will be vital” to the proper treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS.

PrognoCIS connects with patient registries and Health Information Exchanges (HIEs), also allowing for secure transfer of Continuation of Care Documents (CCDs) giving you additional insights that contribute you population health management.

As AIDS Awareness Month continues, we encourage you to get screenings for your patients. With all the progress has been made by people like you the medical community to treat of HIV/AIDS, overall public awareness about the risks of contracting the disease must increase as well. Continue the great work you’re doing to manage the health of your patients and the larger population, and we urge you to look into all the ways you can use your EHR software to innovate your healthcare workflow.